Space deodorizer and the like

ABSTRACT

A device for imparting deodorizing vapors or the like to the ambient atmosphere comprises a sintered aluminum powder shape the top and side portions of which are substantially nonporous and the interior portion of which is porous and in fixed sintered contact with the undersurface of the top portion, the side portion having openings which permit escape of volatilized deodorant or the like from entrainment in the porous interior portion to the ambient atmosphere.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Samuel Storchheim Forest Hills, N.Y.

21 Appl. No. 767,712

[22] Filed Oct. 15, 1968 [45] Patented ,Ian. 26, 1971 [73] AssigneeAlloys Research & Manufacturing Corporation Jamaica, N.Y. a corporationof Delaware [54] SPACE DEODORIZER AND THE LIKE 4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 239/54, 239/34, 239/55 [51] Int. Cl A61L 9/04 [50] Field ofSearch 239/34, 53,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,603,532 7/1952 Wheeler etal 239/59 2,661,238 12/1953 Osti et al 239/54X 2,779,624 1/1957 Friedman239/54 Primary ExaminerAllen N. Knowles Assistant Examiner-John J. LoveAttorney-Pennie, Edmonds, Morton, Taylor & Adams ABSTRACT: A device forimparting deodorizing vapors or the like to the ambient atmospherecomprises a sintered aluminum powder shape the top and side portions ofwhich are substantially nonporous and the interior portion of which isporous and in fixed sintered contact with the undersurface of the topportion, the side portion having openings which permit escape ofvolatilized deodorant or the like from entrainment in the porousinterior portion to the ambient atmosphere.

PATENTEDJANZSIQYI 3,558,055

INVENTOR' Samuel STOrcheIm SPACE DEODORIZER AND THE LIKE This inventionrelates to a space deodorizer or the like and, more particularly, tosuch a device composed essentially of sintered powdered aluminum.

Home and working spaces frequently are contaminated with objectionableor unhealthy vapors which should be neutralized if possible. Absorbentporous and wicklike devices have been proposed heretofore for thepurpose of disseminating liquid deodorizer vapors but the structure ofthese devices have not generally been capable of isolating the supply ofabsorbed liquid from direct contact with its surroundings.

The space deodorizer of the present invention is capable of chargingdeodorizing vapors and the like to the ambient atmosphere whilenevertheless sequestering the volatilizable liquid supply of thedeodorizer from direct contact with its surroundings. My novel spacedeodorizer is composed essentially of sintered powdered aluminum adaptedto hold a controllably entrained normally volatile liquid spacedeodorizer and comprises a shape sintered aluminum powder compactsubstantially impervious to the passage therethrough of the deodorizer.The shaped compact is provided with a top platform portion and aperipheral sidewall portion extending downwardly from the platformportion to define an interior recessed portion below the top platformportion. A porous mass of sintered aluminum powder is fixed in sinteredcontact with the interior recessed portion of the shaped compact and iscapable of being impregnated with a supply of said deodorant. Thesidewall portion of the shaped compact is provided with at least onelaterally positioned opening communicating with the porous sintered massso as to permit escape to the ambient atmosphere of deodorantvolatilized from said supply thereof in the porous sintered mass.

These and other novel features of the invention will be more readilyunderstood from the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section taken through the center of a deviceembodying the invention in the form of an ash tray; and FIG. 2 is abottom plan view of the device shown in FIG. 1.

The space deodorizer shown in the drawing comprises an ash tray having atop platform portion 5 and a peripheral sidewall portion 6. In order toform the ash tray, the sidewall portion extends upwardly to provide aretaining wall 6a around the platform portion 5, and in order to formthe deodorizer device pursuant from the platform portion, as in dicatedat 611, to define therewithin an interior recessed portion 7 below thetop platform. The downwardly extending sidewall portion 6b is providedwith a plurality of lateral openings 8 which provide communicationbetween the interior recessed portion 7 and the ambient atmosphereoutside of the sidewall portion.

The aforementioned structure is formed by known powder metallurgicaltechnique using aluminum or aluminum alloy powder or mixtures ofaluminum and other alloying metal powders. The powders and proceduresdescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,250,838, 3,301,671, 3,326,679 and3,366,479, are well adapted to producing this structure in the form of anonporous sintered aluminum powder compact. If the amount of com pactionof the green powder is not sufficient to produce the desired nonporouscharacteristic in the sintered mass, the latter can be coined byconventional practice to close the pores of the compact. The poresshould be sufficiently closed, or rendered noncommunicating, so thatliquid deodorizer absorbed in the sintered porous portion of the deviceis not free to migrate through the walls of the top platform portion orthe like sidewall portion of the device.

In forming the aforementioned sintered shape, I have found it furtheradvantageous to provide the shape with a retaining ring or wall 9depending from the under surface of the top platform portion and spacedinwardly from the sidewall portion. This ring is designed to hold thepowdered aluminum for the porous sintered portion of the device, andaccordingly its lowermost edge terminates above that of the sidewallportion 6b. The retaining wall 9 is further provided with a plurality oflateral openings 10 positioned to communicate with channels to be formedin the porous sintered mass retained by the wall 9.

The sintered porous mass 11 for holding the liquid deodorizer is readilyformed from the aluminous powders and sintering techniques described inthe aforementioned patents as well as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,232,754. Thepowder is charged to the space formed by the retaining wall 9 and thebottom surface of the top platform portion when the device is turnedupside down. The resulting powder mass can remain uncompacted or it canbe compacted while containing a volatilizable conventional lubricantwhich will be removed during sintering to leave a porous mass of powdercharacterized by interconnecting porosity. The powder mass, prior tosintering, is advantageously provided with channellike passageways 12communicating between the interior of the powder mass the lateralopenings 10 in the retaining wall 9. The shaped powder mass 11 is thensintered to form a stable porous mass in sinterweld contact with atleast the undersurface of the top platform portion 5 of the device andgenerally with the interior surface of the retaining wall 9.

The resulting device thus comprises a structure in which the top andsidewall portions are of nonporous sintered aluminum powder and thesintered porous portion is held in sinterweld contact with the interiorof the device but above the level of bottom edge of the sidewallportion. Thus, when the porous mass is impregnated with a conventionalliquid volatile deodorizer, such as an aqueous solution containingformaldehyde or an odor-suppressing scent, or both, the liquid isretained by the porous mass out of contact with anything surrounding thedevice which might come into contact with the top, side and bottom ofthe device. For example, when the device is in the form of an ash trayas shown in the drawings, the liquid deodorizer does not come intocontact with ashes in the tray or with the surface on which the tray isplaced. Nevertheless, the porous mass in the interior of the device isfree to give up its liquid content by volatilization of the liquid andby escape of the resulting vapor through the passageways 12, theretaining wall openings 10 and the sidewall openings 8 into the ambientatmosphere. Tests performed with a device having the shape andconstruction described hereinbefore, and charged with a conventionalliquid space deodorizer absorbed in its porous interior portion, showedthat it would maintain a room 12 feet square completely free from theodor of cigar and cigarette butts and ashes present in the top ash trayportion of the device for days at a time. In order to insure againstexcessive moisture contact with the supporting surface for the devicethe bottom surface of the porous interior portion I! was covered with amoisture-impervious membrane or sheet 13, advantageously in the form ofa pressure-sensitive tape secure to the bottom surface or rim of theretaining wall 9. If desired, however, the covering sheet 13 can beapplied to the lower edge of the sidewall portion 6b so as to completelyseal off the bottom of the device from the surface on which it issupported.

Iclaim:

l. A space deodorizer composed essentially of sintered powdered aluminumadapted to hold a controllably entrained normally volatile liquid spacedeodorizer which comprises a shaped sintered aluminum powder compactsubstantially impervious to the passage therethrough of the deodorizer,the shaped compact having a top platform. portion and a peripheralsidewall portion extending downwardly from the platform portion todefine an interior recessed portion below the top platform portion, aporous mass of sintered aluminum powder in fixed sintered weld contactwith the interior recessed portion of the shaped compact capable ofbeing impregnated with a supply of said deodorant, the sidewall portionof the shaped compact being provided with at least one laterallypositioned opening communicating with the porous sintered mass whichpermits escape to the ambient atmosphere of deodorant volatilized fromsaid supply thereof.

2. A space deodorizer according to claim 1 in which the sides of theinterior recessed portion are defined by a retaining of the peripheralsidewall portion of the compact.

4. A space deodorizer according to claim 2 in which amoisture-impervious barrier is secured across the lower edge of theretaining wall of the compact.

"H050 UNITED S'lA'lES PATENT OFFICE CER'IIMCA'IE OF CORRECTION Patentho. 3,558 ,055 Dated January 26, l I SAMUEL STORCHHEIM y nvcntor(s) Itis certified that error appears in the above-identified pate and thatsaid Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1 line 19, "shape" should read -shapedand Column 1 line 45,"after "pursuant" and before "from", -1:0 the invention the sidewallportion extends downwardly--should be insert Signed and sealed this 1 1th day of May 1971 (SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLEICHER,JR. WILLIAM E. SGHUYLER, J Attesting OfficerCommissioner of Patent

1. A space deodorizer composed essentially of sintered powdered aluminumadapted to hold a controllably entrained normally volatile liquid spacedeodorizer which comprises a shaped sintered aluminum powder compactsubstantially impervious to the passage therethrough of the deodorizer,the shaped compact having a top platform portion and a peripheralsidewall portion extending downwardly from the platform portion todefine an interior recessed portion below the top platform portion, aporous mass of sintered aluminum powder in fixed sintered weld contactwith the interior recessed portion of the shaped compact capable ofbeing impregnated with a supply of said deodorant, the sidewall portionof the shaped compact being provided with at least one laterallypositioned opening communicating with the porous sintered mass whichpermits escape to the ambient atmosphere of deodorant volatilized fromsaid supply thereof.
 2. A space deodorizer according to claim 1 in whichthe sides of the interior recessed portion are defined by a retainingwall integrally formed with the impervious compact and extendingdownwardly from the underside of the top platform portion and spacedinwardly from the sidewall portion of the compact.
 3. A space deodorizeraccording to claim 1 in which a moisture-impervious barrier is securedacross the lower edge of the peripheral sidewall portion of the compact.4. A space deodorizer according to claim 2 in which amoisture-impervious barrier is secured across the lower edge of theretaining wall of the compact.